Understanding Panic Attacks in Children can make a Parents Job Easier

Gloria Goodwin — Fri, 10 Aug 2012 17:32:21 +0000

By understanding panic attacks in children it does make it easier for the parent to handle the situation and deal with it accordingly. What follows is important information that any parent should actually know so they can then identify the problem as early as possible and will then know how to cope with their child and help them through something that can often be extremely scary.

Panic Attacks in Children

Panic attacks are not just something that adults can suffer from; however, with children it does often involve different triggers as they do not have the same pressures being applied to them in everyday life. However, that being said it is best to begin by looking at the physical symptoms so they can be identified as early as possible.

Physical symptoms of panic attacks in children.

In regard to the physical symptoms it is common to see them worsen quite quickly and there will often be a noticeable difference even within the space of ten minutes in a child. The first time it can happen may actually be a real shock even to the parents, but the following are the main symptoms to look for in your child when they are having a panic attack. A child may often complain of difficulty breathing, their pulse rate will increase, they may sweat and tremble and can do so in bursts rather than continuous. Some may also experience a dizzy feeling along with nausea and a tingling feeling in their limbs and it is clear how this can be rather scary for them. They may have a feeling of impending death and are scared with this only adding to the sensation of the panic attack and it is, therefore, important that they are calmed as quickly as possible.

The duration of the attack.

As was already mentioned the attack will often worsen within ten minutes; however, it is often the case that it will peak after only a few minutes and can then quickly subside after that. The shortness of the attack is one reason why a parent must be able to identify it as quickly as possible so they can take the appropriate action and help the child through a scary moment.

Why and where does it happen?

It happens in children when they are scared or nervous about a certain situation, but there is no real reason as to where or when it will happen. It is just as easy for a child to have a panic attack in the home, in a shopping mall, or even in the park, but if you know that your child is prone to them it does pay you to keep a close eye on them when they enter an area where it has happened before. The reason for this is they will often associate it with a negative feeling which then makes it more likely it will happen again.

Treatment for your child.

In children it has been shown through studies that the best form of panic attack treatment is gradual exposure to situations that have previously been known to cause problems. The parent has to take an active role in all of this and act as a source of comfort for the child. The child will also be taught how to alter their train of thought so they can tackle issues better than before; however, normal cognitive-behaviour therapy is not advised on children, which does mean the therapist has to work on developing various skills within the child so they are able to cope better with various situations.

The future for the child.

There is a chance that they may grow out of the phase as they get older; however, this is not guaranteed. The work that is done at the earliest stage, and not including prescribing them medication, can certainly vastly improve their life as a child and encourage them to take part in normal activities and deal with everyday situations. This is not something that needs to cripple the child and with some help the chances of attacks happening will become less and less. So that is the basic information you should know when trying to understand how panic attacks can occur in children and how it can then have an impact on them. Thanks to being prepared with information on the condition it will then allow you the parent to handle the situation far better than you otherwise would and you will be able to calm your child until the attack passes.

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